


A Sunset in Space

by StardustAndAsh



Series: The Galaxy in Her Eyes [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, F/F, Faye Ryder, Hunting the Archon, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Spoilers, Slow Burn, but not for long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-10-25 11:20:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10763202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StardustAndAsh/pseuds/StardustAndAsh
Summary: Dying takes a lot out of a person. You don't just bounce back and continue on your merry way through the Galaxy.SAM's actions on the Archon's ship leave a lasting impression on Ryder. It's a good thing her friends are there to help her find her feet again.





	1. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Dying was not peaceful. All the old books and vids used to portray death as calm, characters slipping off into an eternal sleep. In Faye's experience death came with claws. It dragged you down and ripped every fibre of your being apart in the most painful way you could imagine. And there was no gentle sleep either. Memories flashed by so fast all they did was disorient and confuse.

Yep. Dying sucked.

But being brought back was worse.

Nothing prepared you for the shock of waking up. Like being kicked into existence by a very angry Krogan after travelling across the galaxy without knowing it. So in a word: disorienting. Faye gasped for breath and practically leapt off the ground before realizing that staying still would hurt a hell of a lot less. Ok, first things first, Faye needed to take stock.

Two legs: check. Two arms: check. Feeling in both: check. Pain in either: other than bruises, and muscle spasms, nope. Anything else could wait until she saw Dr. T'Perro. Next was location. It was dark, but obviously a ship of some kind. What had she been doing? Right. The Archon and the relic. The Salarian ark. The stasis fields holding them in place.

Faye turned to see Peebee and Vetra hovering over her with concern all over their faces. Now not caught in the field herself and not face to face with an eight foot tall asshole of an alien, seeing the two of them hanging there was actually kind of hilarious.

"You going to sit there forever or are you going to let us down?" asked Vetra. It was gentler than it should have been.

"Aw, tired of hanging around this place?" Fay shot back.

"Ryder this isn't time for jokes! Let us down!" Peebee demanded.

With a laugh Faye stood and walked over to the nearest console. She let SAM deal with whatever program was holding the others in place, and not for the first time was she glad that SAM was able to do these sorts of things. With her luck she would undoubtedly fry the both of them into crispy alien pancakes or something.

"Ryder, even though I was able to revive you, I recommend you seek medical attention aboard the Tempest as soon as possible. As I am sure you are aware, there are many unpleasant side affects from dying," said SAM.

"I think I got away from the worst side affect."

"That you are able to joke is a good sign. I have informed Dr. T'Perro of your situation and she will have a bed ready in the medbay upon your return."

Faye was jolted out of the conversation by the sound of Vetra and Peebee ungracefully hitting the floor. Both groaned as they rolled to their feet. Vetra kept trying to brush off imaginary dust from her armour while Peebee double checked all her weapons. They both thought themselves subtle but Faye caught them both giving her the once-over. It wasn't like they could do anything about the weird feeling in her heart or the dizzy, distant feeling in her mind.

"We should go get the artifact and get the hell out of here," said Faye, checking SAM's map once more to be sure they were going the right way.

"You sure you don't want to take five, get used to the land of the living again?" asked Peebee.

"Not the first time I've died. You get used to it after a while," Faye snarked back.

Vetra just shook her head and lead the two of them out of the room. They were close to the relic at least. The repetitive corridors and matching grey doors were getting easier to navigate the more they crawled around on Kett ships. One turn here, through that door, another turn, through the second door on the left. With every Step Faye felt the remnants of electricity spark through her. She hadn't asked how long she had been dead this time. From the current making her fingers twitch she guessed it has been a while. Definitely time for SAM to shock her multiple times.

The Archon's room of precious relics was a sad disappointment. Faye had been hoping for some intact, exciting new pieces of tech, or maybe even evidence of Remnant culture.  Watching people Finding new evidence of culture or lifestyle had always been her favourite part of playing guard to scientists on missions to study Prothean sites. Instead the room was full of broken bits of tech. From SAM's observations it sounded like the Archon had destroyed the relics himself. Did the Kett not understand the value of objects or respect their creators? Faye supposed not. After all they did procreate by kidnapping alien races and playing god with the DNA.

At the very back of the room was another artifact. This one was different than the others. For one it was smaller.  For another it was faintly glowing with a blue light, like those of an idle remnant bot. This had to be what they were after. Faye used her omnitool to interface with the artifact, letting SAM take over the hard part of reading the information. Never had Faye been more glad to see alien tech working.

And then the Archon had to go and ruin the moment. Faye breathed a sigh of relief when she turned and saw that he wasn’t physically behind her. Dying once a day was her limit. God what was her life now.

Faye shook herself out of her head. She needed to give the Archon her full attention. Even as a holo he was one ugly fucker. And if he was just watching them through a camera somewhere he wouldn’t be able to see the tremors that still shook her.

The conversation twisted around finding Meridian, with the Archon using the same language as all the men she had beaten into the dust in basic training. Fay’s mind, though groggy, was working overtime. The Salarians still had yet to detonate the EMP device, and as soon as they did they would have to get off the ship as fast as possible to get away with both the Tempest and the Salarian Ark. She shot sideways glances at Vetra and Peebee. Both had their guns at the ready and looked far calmer than Faye felt. Ok. She could do this.

“Raeka, now!” Faye shouted into her comm.

The Archon had just enough time to look surprised before the whole ship rocked with the force of the EMP detonation.

“We don’t have a lot of time before the Kett get this place up and running again. We gotta move,” said Vetra, already leading the way out.

From the corridor outside a new wave of sounds could be heard. And they did not sound promising. The clanking of breaking machinery and the shattering of glass and the low roar of a Krogan.

A very angry Krogan.

A very angry Krogan who had been exalted by the Kett and possibly turned into an even more destructive force than usual.

“That doesn’t sound good,” said Vetra.

“For once I’m going to agree with you,” said Peebee.

The Krogan they had seen floating in the tank had somehow ripped its way to freedom with the help of the EMP, and it did not seem to care who it was pointing a gun at as long as he could shoot someone.

“Take cover!” shouted Faye as she dived behind one of the displays.

Pulling out her assault rifle she began shooting as fast as possible. A normal Krogan was hard enough to bring down there was no telling what one spliced with mystery DNA could do.

Chase them down for ultimate punching experiences was high on the list apparently. Faye watched as the Krogan managed to catch up to Peebee and swung a fist as big as her torso at Peebee’s head. Only a lucky dodge saved her from being brained and Faye thought her heart might have stopped again. All she could do was run from cover to cover with a spray of bullets and hope that Vetra and Peebee were doing the same.

“Pathfinder, I am attempting to regulate your bodily functions, but it is getting increasingly difficult. I highly recommend returning to the Tempest Med Bay as soon as possible.”

“Not helpful right now, SAM!”

The Krogan roared as he charged Faye’s current hiding place. Faye jumped back just in time as the Krogan barreled through what was left of the artifact. Debris pinged off her armour and scattered over the floor. Faye charged up a Nova and let her biotics throw him off balance before dodging to the side with the help of her jump jets.

“Ryder, you good?” called Peebee from above.

Faye spotted Peebee’s blue crest peeking out from over one of the upper ledges of the room. Good, she’d found somewhere to hide. She shot Peebee a thumbs up.

It took a grueling, long stretch of time to take down the Krogan. Faye could feel herself slowing down, her shots going wider and wider as her hand began shaking more and more.

Next time they were stuck SAM was killing someone else to get out of it. Faye was done with dying.

It was with a triumphant yell from Vetra accompanied by her bursting out of cover to converge on the Krogan in a hail of bullets that he finally went down.

“Woo! We did it!”

“Still have to get out of here before they bring the power back online,” reminded Faye.

The three of them hurried back into the corridor when SAM interrupted.

“Pathfinder, I’m picking up Krogan life signs onboard the ship. Several captives are being held not far from your location.”

“Drack’s missing scouts?” asked Peebee.

“They are scheduled for exaltation,” said SAM.

“SAM do we have time to rescue them before the Kett get the power back up?”

“If you act quickly. I must suggest that in this case you prioritize yourself over a rescue attempt as it may be that you will collapse before the Kett bring back their power.”

“If that was an attempt at a joke SAM, it was a bad one,” said Faye.

SAM gave as much of an exasperated huff as an AI could manage before bringing up a new HUD with the Krogan’s location on it. Before they could make it more than a few steps however, Faye’s comm blinked with an incoming call.

“Ryder, it’s Raeka. I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

“Where are you?”

“Near holding cells. They’re keeping several of my people here. They’re still alive. I’ve ordered Captain Hayjer back to the Ark.”

“You should have gone with him,” said Faye.

“I couldn’t leave my people.”

Damn. That’s what a real Pathfinder sounded like, wasn’t it. Raeka was exemplary, and Faye knew damn well what happened to those exemplary heroes.

“I had to try. And now, I think it’s over. From one Pathfinder to another: Farewell. Raeka out.”

“Damn it!”

Faye tried re-establishing the comm link without luck.

“We could go after Raeka, get her and her people out,” suggested Vetra.

“There is not enough time to rescue both Pathfinder Raeka and the Krogan. You have to make a decision,” said SAM.

“Oh sure, just let me decide the fate of a bunch of living people.”

“If you remain here any longer, the Kett will restore power, and you will be trapped,” said SAM oh so helpfully.

Faye bit her lip. This was hard. Never had she been faced with this kind of decision before. She’d always been good at taking orders. From her father, from her squad leader, from the Council. Making the tough calls had never been up to her before coming to Andromeda. She just had to follow through with them. It was much easier to do something like this if she wasn’t the one who had to prioritize the lives of some people over others.

But a decision had to be made lest she commit all of them to the care of the Kett.

“Reload. We’re going to go save those Krogan.”

It hurt, walking away from the Salarians. Pathfinder Raeka seemed a kind and honourable Salarian who did not desrve the fate Faye had just handed them. But she was a Pathfinder, and if anyone could pull off a rescue of the Salarians, Raeka had the best chance. No one was coming to help the Krogan. It was the best shot at potentially getting both groups off the Archon’s ship alive.

Halfway to SAM’s marker they ran into one of the Krogan scouts. Faye was definitely not going to turn away help at this point. She felt like shit and if her shots were going to miss it would be nice to know someone was making them up for her. She handed him her pistol and told him to lead the way.

She was not expecting quite so many Kett to be in the way, but there they were.

Not trusting her aim, Faye concentrated on using her biotics to win this fight. As it wore on it was getting more and more difficult to ignore the strange, dizzying empty feeling that followed every throw. Every press forward took more effort. But she’d be damned if she just abandoned the Krogan to the Kett.

“Pathfinder, your life signs are entering critical levels. I need to shock your heart again to restore a regular rhythm.”

“SAM, it can wait until we clear the Kett.”

“I do not believe it can.”

And with at least five Kett still in between the cell and them, Faye got a kick in the ribs from a lightning bolt.

The jolt was enough to send her to her knees in the middle of the hall without cover. SAM could have at least waited for her to get behind a wall or doorway or something where a bullet wasn’t likely to find its way into her skull. Distantly she registered that she was being dragged to the side, but felt more like concentrating on breathing through the rejuvenated shocks rippling though her muscles.

“Ryder, come on, say something.”

Someone was shaking her shoulder. Faye looked up to see Peebee. Beautiful Peebee. The Asari was trading shots over their cover while concentrating on Faye and wow if that wasn’t a goddamn sight. Like some fairy tale hero come to save the princess in the middle of a firefight on an ugly alien ship. Guess not all heroes had shining white steeds and silver armour. Some had purple jackets that showed off a rock-hard belly.

“Hey Peebee,” said Faye.

“Oh thank the Goddess. Ryder’s still with us!” called Peebee.

“Good. Tell her to get her ass moving,” shouted back Vetra.

“Hey Peebee, anyone ever tell you you got galaxies in your eyes? They’re so pretty,” said Faye, not quite sure how to shut off her mouth. It was true though, Peebee’s eyes were beautiful and always full of expression.

The expression in them now, for instance, was clear disbelief. Peebee stared down at Ryder until a shot missed her head by inches.

“I don’t know what dying did to you but you are definitely being dragged straight to the Med bay when we get back.”

Fay just grinned up at her.

Eventually, the sounds of gunfire died away and were replaced with Krogan cries for help. Peebee helped haul Faye upright, and held her when Faye tried to pull away. Peebee slung one of Faye’s arms around her neck and grabbed her around the waist. Faye was definitely not complaining about this new arrangement. With Peebee’s help she limped to the control console for the Krogan’s cage. With SAM’s help they decrypted the lock quickly and together with the Krogan made a mad dash through the halls of the Archon’s ship. Any Kett they encountered were taken care of in the good old fashioned Krogan way.

The airlock of the Tempest never looked so beautiful as when Peebee dragged her across it.

“Kallo, we’re on. Go,” said Vetra through the comm, and Faye felt the subtle rumble of the engine firing up before they zoomed away from the Archon’s ship and out into more friendly space.

As soon as the airlock door was open Lexi was there with a scanner and a fearsome expression. Faye knew she probably should be afraid of the doctor’s wrath, but was far too tired to care. Besides, Peebee was just so warm and comfortable, and Faye’s head fit perfectly into the soft join of Peebee’s neck and shoulder. It was easier just to fall asleep. And a whole lot nicer than dying.


	2. Chapter 2

Med bay, was, ultimately, the most boring place in the universe. Especially when your doctor wouldn’t let you so much as lift your head. To be fair to Lexi it wasn’t like Faye could do much more than lift her head anyway. Whatever SAM had done in killing her, bringing her back to life, and then shocking her once more had done a number on her body. She felt like she had been run over by the NOMAD, and then they’d backed up over her for good measure. Apparently being jolted by electricity multiple times and being dead for a minute was not good for the human body. Who knew.

Faye had spent the better part of three days sleeping, and even when she was awake she was exhausted. Every muscle shook with the effort of moving and her heart rate was beeping irregularly and far too slowly in her ear. Lexi and SAM were working around the clock on a way to get her heart back to normal, but they had charted a course for the Nexus to get input from more doctors. Or a human doctor. Something. Faye wasn’t really sure, she had stopped listening once Lexi told her she couldn’t get out of bed.

Faye had tried to get up, and had made it all the way to the kitchen before Drack had caught her. Literally caught her as she keeled over. He then managed to tuck her into one of the beds in the Med bay so tightly she could barely breathe. That had earned Drack a tongue lashing from Lexi. Or a strange form of flirting. Faye was never sure what was going on when it came to Lexi.

At least they had the sense to put her in a bed closest to the window. Andromeda may have been unfamiliar, but at least no matter where you went in the universe the stars were beautiful. She spent hours staring out at them, imagining what discoveries lay beyond Heleus, and what sort of aliens were out there. Or if the Kett had wiped out the rest of the galaxy.  

The transfer to the Nexus was a surprisingly quiet affair. Faye supposed it was planned that way on purpose to keep prying eyes away. Director Tann would see her being in down and out as a blow to morale. People were probably being sworn to secrecy even now as they made their slow way to the Hyperion.

It was odd to see the Nexus from this new angle. For once Faye got to appreciate the fantastic views offered by the plexi-glass covered ceiling. Fabricated day never looked so beautiful on the Citadel the few times she had been there. And she hadn’t had time to stop and appreciate it before now. There was always some fire to put out somewhere else on the station.

Lexi walked beside her, doing scans over and over and talking into her omnitool. Faye wanted to tell her that if she kept up that frown it might get stuck. A cute sentiment her mother used to tell her father.

“Hey Lexi,” said Faye. She almost didn’t notice the strange tightness in her chest.

“Pathfinder, please don’t try and talk,” said Lexi, picking up the pace.

“If you keep frowning like that, your face is gonna –“ Faye cut herself off as breathing suddenly became a lot more complicated for something she’d been doing her entire life.

“I told you,” said Lexi before she looked at whoever was driving Faye down the hallway. “Hurry, her oxygen levels are dropping.”

And yet again, Faye lost track of reality.

Usually when she slept there was nothing but darkness. Just a blank spot of time between closing her eyes and opening them again. But this time was different. Faye floated through space. With one hand she reached out and brushed her fingertips over a nebula as soft and cutting as a feather. It separated under her touch to come alive with colours and winking stars. It wound down her arm and over her body, coating her in a garment that shifted colours at the slightest touch and twinkled with countless unexplored worlds.

“It looks beautiful on you,” a gruff voice said to her left.

Faye knew that voice. She had once waited every night to hear that voice before falling asleep, even if she knew he’d never come say goodnight. Even if more nights than not he wouldn’t come home.

“Dad?”

There he was. Floating along with her. Crowned in stars like some sort of fairytale king.

“You’ve done so well. We’ve come so far in the Galaxy through your efforts. I wish I could be there to see it all happening,” said Alec.

Faye couldn’t speak. There were so many things she wanted to ask or say. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and cry, and she wanted to punch him in the face. He hid so many things from her and Scott. So many. She supposed it must have been easy to hide it all since he never saw them. In the five years before the trip to Andromeda Faye had seen her father only a handful of times. She’d gone into basic training at seventeen, and after that home had never really felt like home. They were too fragmented, even after the news of her mother’s illness. It had been all Faye could do to hang onto Scott. And even then he was ripped away and stationed on a lonely Mass Relay.

“Why?”

“Why what,”

“Why did you save me, Dad. I was irrelevant to the Initiative. You were what everyone needed. Everyone in the Initiative looked up to you and trusted you. No one was happy when you died and made me Pathfinder. I had no training. I still don’t. So why?”

Alec smiled at her. In a sad way. The kind of look he gave Mom while she was in the hospital.

“I know I wasn’t there for you and your brother, but it doesn’t mean I never loved you. I love you more than the universe is big. Without you, your brother, your mother, there would be no universe for me. And because I believe in you. I know that you can do things I never could. You make me proud every day.”

Faye didn’t know she was crying until the tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. Her father said everything she had ever wanted to hear him say. She reached out to him, but her hand passed through him like a holo.

“Dad?”

“I can’t stay here forever, and neither can you. Give Scott my love,” said Alec, as he faded into a constellation, forever printed against the night sky with his crown of stars.

“Dad!”

Through her tears the galaxy spun and twisted. The bright colours swirling and blending and growing brighter and brighter until she was being ripped apart by a white light more intense than the heat on Elaaden.

Slowly the light ebbed away, though the world still remained blurred and quiet, as if she was on the other side of some incredibly thick glass. Both of her hands were warm. She felt safe, peaceful even, for the first time since coming to Andromeda. Slowly she blinked the world into focus. The white ceiling came first. Then to her left was Lexi, holding Faye’s hand with two fingers pressed to her pulse point and reading data on her omnitool. On her left was a familiar mop of dark hair and brown eyes. It took her a moment to realize why Scott being upright and holing her hand was a weird situation.

“Scott!” shouted Faye as she shot upright and grabbed her brother in as strong a hug as she could manage.

Alarms blared from the terminal next to the bed and Lexi’s omnitool, but Faye couldn’t care less. Scott was awake and upright.

“Whoa there, Sis,” said Scott, returning the hug.

“You had me worried little bro. Next time wake up faster!”

The two broke apart with matching grins.

“You need to lie back down, Pathfinder,” said Lexi, taking hold of Faye’s shoulder and steering her back down to the pillows.

“Come on, Lexi. I feel much better. Honest.”

Faye gave Lexi her best puppy eyes. She got a glare in return.

“Hey now, let the good doctor do her job,” said Scott.

“Betrayed by my own family.”

Faye stuck her tongue out at Scott. When he didn’t stick his out right back at her Faye frowned. Something was up.

“Scott?”

Scott sighed and ran a hand through his hair. A nervous tick he had picked up from their father. He shifted his gaze between Faye and Lexi, looking somewhat nervous. With a sigh, it was Lexi who spoke.

“Faye, you are experiencing a strange form of heart failure due to the measures SAM took while you were aboard the Archon’s ship. We’ve stopped its progress but I’m afraid we still have a while to go to get you back on your feet.”

“Can’t you just get me a pacemaker or something?”

“We could, but SAM and I both agree that perhaps it would be prudent to not have more electronic equipment in your body and reduce the temptation for a repeat performance. Jaal and Peebee are working with the Angara on a potential organic remedy on Aya,” said Lexi.

“What if we just make SAM promise not to kill me again?” asked Ryder with a shrug.

“SAM did what?” asked Scott incredulously.

Faye blinked up at him, and then over at Lexi. Oh. They hadn’t told him.

Oh shit.

“When trapped in a stasis field on board the Archon’s ship SAM saw it necessary to kill your sister in order for her squad to escape,” said Lexi in a tone that passed disapproval.

“It worked!”

“You let SAM kill you? Of course you did, you were always the reckless one,” grumbled Scott.

“This is why I need you around. When did you wake up anyway?” asked Faye.

Scott leaned back in his seat and wrung his hands. Faye cocked an eyebrow at the guilty dance.

“A week and a half ago. Harry and I thought it would be fun to surprise you next time you came to the Nexus. Maybe send a fake alert or something if you didn’t show up soon. Then I hear you’re taking on the biggest bad in this corner of space, and then we got the word you didn’t walk away from it. I think you beat me on the surprise.”

Her brother had been awake for a while and she hadn’t known. Faye slumped into her pillows. She had been waiting for so long for it to happen and she hadn’t known when it had. The surprise would have been something the old her would have laughed at. Before she was given the fates of everyone in the cluster. Before she had died twice and lost their father. Now it hurt. Scott was the only family she had left, and the thought that maybe today would be the day Scott woke up had often been her reason for getting out of bed in the morning.

The surprise was nice in sentiment, and at one point she would have loved it, but now it made her want to cry.

“How about you both get some rest,” suggested Lexi, shutting down her omnitool and backing away from the bed. With a gentle hand she guided Scott back to his own, lying him down and helped him pull up a blanket.

Now that Faye was awake, the bright room was definitely going to keep her awake. Though her and Scott were in beds placed away from the general hubbub of the Cryo bay turned Med bay, there was still plenty of activity as people bustled in and out. At this point while the Kett threat remained and the outposts were still being set up the process of bringing people out of stasis had all but stopped. It made sense for the doctors on the Arks to turn their attention to those sick or injured rather than sit on their asses.

A soft snore from the other bed drew Faye’s attention. Of course Scott was already asleep, mouth hanging just the littlest bit open. He’d always been able to sleep at the drop of a hat. In so many ways he was the lucky twin. Faye would fight tooth and nail for it to stay that way. She’d always taken her role as big sister seriously, even if she was only older by a matter of minutes. Now that she finally had Scott back there was no way anyone in this galaxy could rip them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Some of you might know me from my Dragon Age works but Mass Effect Andromeda has owned my soul for the last month. I literally finished the game maybe 6 hours before posting this chapter (and those 6 hours were spent revamping story ideas as a lot of what i had planned actually happened in the last mission).
> 
> Expect to see some twins doing some family sleuthing around the Nexus next chapter, and perhaps some Peebee action. 
> 
> Thank you to those who leave comments and kudos. Comments are a great way of letting me know i'm not typing into the emptiness of the Scourge, and theres no feeling quite like waking up to that email saying y'all have left Kudos! <3 You guys are the real heroes of fanfic


	3. Chapter 3

Faye took it back. Having her obnoxious jerk of a brother rubbing the fact he could get up while she couldn’t in her face every ten minutes was annoying. Scott had been wandering around the Med bay, albeit with assistance from Henry or Lexi, and on one memorable occasion, Liam. Faye was allowed to sit up now, and they were talking about getting her a wheelchair so she wasn’t confined to the bed for much longer. The numerous threats she made was no doubt a factor in that conversation.

There was a heavy weight surrounding Faye and Scott. An elcor in the room so to speak. Faye had lied to him when Scott was still stuck in a coma. About their father and the state of the Heleus Cluster. Faye could feel it simmering below the surface of every conversation the two of them had. Of course Scott’s initial relief at the two of them being reunited and somewhat safe and healthy had faded. Faye had yet to tell him about what she had seen in their father’s memories as well. The mystery of the Benefactor called to her.

The threat of the Archon also worried her. The race for Meridian had begun and she was falling further behind every day. Suvi was busy pinpointing its exact position but it was obvious that it would be easier to do so if they were out there on the Tempest and actively chasing it down.

Drack was surprisingly her most frequent visitor from the Tempest. At first Faye thought it might be because he frequently travelled around the Nexus with Kesh, but soon she realized that she’d only seen Kesh a couple times whereas Drack made an appearance every day and stayed for hours. He told her and Scott old war stories and taught them Krogan battle cries. He picked up on the growing tension between Faye and Scott, though chose to ignore it for as long as possible, until one day he walked in to the two of them yelling at each other.

“You lied to me!”

“I couldn’t tell you, not like that. You weren’t there Scott, you don’t understand!”

“I’m trying my best here, but you won’t let me! You’re still keeping secrets!” Scott’s fist slammed ineffectively into the bedsheets next to Faye’s knee.

“I told you I’ll tell you what’s going on after I figure it all out,” said Faye, close to tears. They had had this conversation so many times, and each time Scott was angrier and Faye was closer to telling him everything. But Scott loved their Father. He’d wanted to join the Alliance since the two of them were six years old to be an N7 just like Dad.

“Hey Kid,” boomed Drack, interrupting the tension.

“Drack!” Faye smiled up at the old Krogan.

“Kesh could hear you shouting through all the ducts. Says its annoying.”

“I’ll find her some strong moonshine on Kadara next time we go to apologize.”

“Ha! She’ll like that.”

Scott was looking between the two of them with a frown. He was not pleased that his attempt to get information had been foiled once again.

This did not escape Drack’s notice.

“Kid, who do you need to talk to about what SAM showed you about your dad?” asked Drack.

“I need to talk to Tann, but he hasn’t come by and the good doctors won’t let me get up. Neither of us are supposed to be doing much.”

Drack looked between the two siblings, an odd look on his face.

“Drack?” asked Faye slowly. She had a feeling that neither Lexi or Harry would like what Drack was planning.

“If you need to talk to Tann to sort out whatever shit you got, then we’re going to see Tann,” said Drack.

And with that he scooped up the Ryder twins, placing one on each shoulder, and took off down the row of beds and to the transporter before anyone could stop him.

Faye gave out a loud whoop as she bounced on Drack’s solid armour covered shoulder. She held onto his hump loosely, knowing that Drack would never let her fall. Scott on the other hand shrieked and clung desperately to Drack’s armour.

“He’s crazy. Sis, the Krogan is crazy,” shouted Scott as they dashed down the short hall to the transporter to the Nexus Operations Deck.

Drack and Faye laughed.

Faye felt a wave of dizziness, but the relief of being out of bed and finally doing something was far greater.

When the doors of the transport closed behind them and there was a moment of relieved silence interrupted only by the familiar hum and whoosh as they sped through the ships. Drack didn’t put either of them down, not even when Scott wriggled in his hold.

“Alright while the two of you are sitting there, mind explaining to all of us what’s going on Ryder?” asked Drack in a way that did not give her much of a choice.

So she did. Faye told Scott about how she literally saw their father’s memories. She did not tell him how disorienting and disturbing it was to see from her father’s eyes and speak with his voice, to feel his emotions.

Faye told him about SAM, and how their father unshackled it in their implants and used it to try and save their mother. She didn’t tell him how she watched their mother die again, nor that SAM was probably the only thing keeping Faye alive at this point.

Lastly, Faye told Scott about the mysterious Benefactor, the last piece of the puzzle. Whoever it was who gave the Andromeda Initiative the backing it needed and remained anonymous.

“I’m hoping Director Tann might know something. Jien Garson would have known about the Benefactor, and she might have left some record,” finished Faye as the transport slowed to a stop.

Scott didn’t speak as they left, nor on the short walk down the hall towards the main hub of Operations. He was frowning, a line between his forehead. Faye was struck by how much he looked like their father.

“It’s too bad Dad didn’t make it. He would be able to just tell us about the Benefactor and SAM,” said Scott.

And damn if that didn’t sting. It was one thing to move past Cora, a relative stranger at the time, wishing that Alec Ryder had lived to do his duties as Pathfinder rather than having Faye in charge. But coming from Scott it was like digging the wound open anew.

“Why does it matter? We got here. We’re not going back to the Milky Way,” said Drack.

Faye bit her lip. It didn’t matter, not really. But she couldn’t help but get that sinking feeling in her gut. If someone wanted to back the Initiative with that much money, there had to be something more going on than simply kind charity.

It was also something her father had known and used to help the Initiative.

“I can’t believe this is what you were hiding from me. Honestly Sis, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“If it wasn’t that big of a deal why did Dad never tell us?” shot back Faye.

Faye could tell that both Drack and Scott were sending her unimpressed looks, but she refused to look at them. She stared out resolutely across Operations from her new vantage point with arms crossed.

A number of people stopped whatever they were doing to watch them pass. One Asari’s mouth hung open. Faye was tempted to wave as they went by. A Turian was typing something into his omnitool as fast as he could without looking away from the odd sight. Faye had a feeling he may have been part of security and was tattling to Lexi.

They found Director Tann in his usual place, set up in the Pathfinder HQ at a desk Faye expected he dragged up to the highest level himself. The Salarian had a bit of a Napoleon complex but she wasn’t quite ready to point it out.

The Salarian in question gave a look akin to a human raising their eyebrow at the three of them walking up to his desk.

“Pathfinder,” he greeted, ignoring Scott and Drack, “I heard you were confined to medical until further notice.”

“Seems you heard wrong.”

“And won’t the Krogan be happy to know you’re now interested in using them as your own personal transportation system.”

Drack growled.

“I’m pretty sure this is a one-time thing,” said Faye lightly. “But we’re here for a reason.”

“And what is that?”

“What do you know about the people who backed the Initiative?”

Tann rolled his eyes as much as a Salarian could. He explained in a very slow voice once more about Jien Garson and her death. Definitely not answering the question.

“Is there anyone else?” asked Scott.

“I would almost welcome anyone else. A voice to silence the rabble. Then Kesh might listen,” said Tann

Drack growled low. The director sniffed and looked down his non-existent nose at him.

“But no, we’re alone. Why do you ask?”

“I have information that suggests Garson wasn’t the only one.”

“What sort of information?”

“It’s complicated.” Understatement of the century. “But there was a silent partner, a ‘Benefactor’.”

“Even if that were true, we’ve been here fourteen months with no sign of them. This _partner_ is either a phantom, missing, or dead.”

Or not in Andromeda, thought Faye, but she didn’t say it out loud.

The rest of the conversation was, of course, about Director Tann’s dear Jien Garson. Though one tidbit of information stuck out to her. No one had investigated her death. And that she was found after having succumbed to her injuries. Other sources had told Faye that Garson had died when the Nexus met the Scourge, while in her stasis pod. Tann’s words suggested otherwise.

Faye was silent as they left the Pathfinder HQ, through Operations, and back onto the tram. There were thoughts whirling in her head. Garson’s death needed to be investigated. There were more mysteries piling up wherever she looked and no answers to be found. It made her head spin. Or maybe that was just her blood pressure bottoming out. Drack shifted the weight of the two of them on his shoulders and Faye nearly rolled off. If not for Drack’s firm grip around her shins and a steadying hand from Scott she probably would have.

“Mysteries have your head in a whirl?” asked Scott, but devoid of his usual humour.

“You see why I wanted to keep this a secret? There’s too many unknowns.”

“Two heads are better than one!”

Drack shifted them again, more violently and they shut up.  

Then the transport came to a smooth stop and the doors opened to reveal two very angry medical professionals. A beat of surprised silenced passed.

“Hi,” said Faye timidly.

Chaos descended. For at least an hour Faye and Scott were subjected to multiple scans, tests, and admonishments from both Henry and Lexi. The two of them had somehow perfected the tandem lecture in an impressive way. Drack had unhelpfully slipped out of the Med bay as soon as he had put them down, but Faye knew Lexi was going to be screaming at him as well in the future.

After that whirlwind was over Lexi finally gave them some good news.

“Peebee and Jaal are on their way back with some Angaran doctors. They believe they’ve found something that will help you. It is possible that whatever they’ve found will help you get better, but you will be reliant on SAM to keep you alive, your connection is too strong at this point. I have the data and can transfer it to your omnitool if you like,” offered Lexi.

Faye just shrugged. She had suspected for a while now that SAM’s deeper connection was a double-edged blade. She was more excited by the thought of Peebee coming back and the possibility of going after Meridian.

“Tomorrow the both of you will be receiving wheelchairs. You will be allowed to roam about the Nexus but please take someone with you. I don’t want to have to come scraping the both of you off the common’s floor because you decided to have a race,” said Lexi, and both Ryders sat up a little straighter with interest. A race was definitely going to happen.

Faye leaned back on her pillows and squirmed, trying to get the lumps out of the way. Nothing was more uncomfortable than a bed made for someone to only be in for a maximum of a few hours. On the bed next to her Scott leaned forward with his head resting on his knees. He watched her with his baby blues as Faye struggled to get comfy.

“Are you still mad or can we plan a race?”  asked Faye.

Scott sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m not mad anymore. Not at you. I just missed so much. I was supposed to wake up when we got here but instead I wake up and Dad’s dead and you’re off being the Pathfinder and there’s the Kett and the Scourge and missing Arks. I’m still trying to catch up on it all.”

“I’m sorry about Dad,” said Faye. It was the only thing she could apologize for.

“Me too. He kept so many secrets from us. From everyone. I wish he was here.”

“Me too. I don’t know why he did it. It’s not like I was overly useful or suited for command,” said Faye, voicing the questions that had been plaguing her thoughts for months.

“What do you mean? What did he do?” asked Scott.

Oh, Faye realized. Scott didn’t know. All he had been told was that their father had died, not the circumstances that left him dead and Faye as the new Pathfinder. How many others didn’t know how Alec Ryder died? Faye would kill whoever decided to keep more secrets from the rest of the Initiative. At this rate it would become a convoluted, overbearing dictatorship. Her dad died a hero, though maybe not everyone would see it that way. Maybe they would call him selfish.

“Dad died saving me. When we were investigating Habitat 7 we discovered Remnant technology and Dad tried interfacing with it. It blew both of us off the platform. My helmet cracked. I couldn’t breathe. Then Dad took off his helmet and put it on me. It was stupid of him I was already dead. I would have died as well if SAM hadn’t forged a deeper connection with me. He should have just let me go,” said Faye.

The night cycle of the ship began, the bright overhead lights dimming and casting eerie orange shadows around the room.

“But what would I do without my big sister?”

Faye sighed and smiled. Things were going to get better from here. If Scott would stick with her then she could do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long and isn't the best chapter in the world. Moving has been stressful. Peebee is coming back next chapter! and Jaal. I'm excited, are you??
> 
> Big thank yous to everyone who has commented and kudosed this story <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real sorry this took so long. Anxiety and depression are kinda my ruling states but I'm fighting back

When Peebee came striding into the Med bay it was like some scene from a romance vid. She walked in with her head high and feet carrying her like she floated on a cloud. At least that’s what Faye saw. Then Peebee ruined it by dramatically flopping at the foot of her bed and loudly complaining about the weather on Aya.

“It’s just so hot and humid. I like not feeling like I’m walking through water all the time. I mean it’s gross. At least one of the Angara should have invented a fan or air conditioning or something useful.”

“Not enough rem-tech on Aya to keep you happy?” asked Faye.

“They don’t keep the really cool things on display in the museum, but I may have snuck into their archives,” said Peebee with a sly grin. “But I am glad to see you didn’t die while we were gone.”

“Of course not. They need me to keep this place from chaos,” said Faye with a wink.

Peebee grinned.

“Hi I’m Scott.” He broke the silence with a little wave, earning an unimpressed look from Peebee.

“Yeah and I better go run some diagnostics on Poc. Later Ryder,” said Peebee, removing herself from the foot of the bed and waving as she left. Faye was sad to watch her go.

“Was it something I said?”

“Your ugly mug probably scared her away,” said Faye.

“I haven’t met many of your crew yet. They not like you or something?” Scott teased.

Faye stuck out her tongue. Her crew had bigger things to worry about.

Jaal came some time later, and with him were an Angaran doctor and scientist. He said hello and introduced himself to Scott, but only exchanged a few words with the twins before introducing the doctor and scientist to Lexi and Harry. They immediately got down to business with Jaal overseeing and explaining any strange social customs on both sides. Faye would have to thank Liam later for getting Jaal used to human customs.

Scott stared in plain fascination at the Angara. Faye had forgotten that he had yet to meet any of their new Andromeda neighbours. He watched them move with fascination. The doctor was a male who was taller than Jaal but more willowy and a deep blue colour. He seemed the most interested in the human patients and was sending Faye and Scott the same curious glances as Scott was giving him.

“They’re called Angara. They’re the first nice sentient species we’ve met,” said Faye.

“They kinda look like squids,” said Scott.

Jaal overheard this, and immediately wanted to know what a squid was. It took several minutes and some very poorly drawn squids and octopuses to get the idea across. Then Jaal and the scientist he had brought with him wanted to know if it was insulting in earth-culture to be compared to a squid.

“Is it demeaning to be told you have more arms than is necessary?”

“Does it imply something untrustworthy about your character?”

Poor Scott had to fend off the questions without insulting the Angara, which was proving a rather difficult task. Faye decided it was far more amusing to watch her brother suffer than help dig him out of his hole. By the end of it they were all laughing uproariously, except for Scott, who had buried his flaming red face underneath a pillow.

Jaal stayed for a while. The doctors and scientist left to go start experimenting, but Jaal wished to talk. There was news from the Tempest to be shared and stories from the adventure to Aya. Kallo and Suvi had managed to ping around the galaxy enough to locate Meridian and were ready to leave as soon as Faye was back on her feet. Suvi had sent along some sort of dish made out of local Andromeda ingredients, but Jaal had binned it as soon as he was on the Nexus. Apparently it was brown and wiggled every few minutes. Faye was rather relieved she didn’t have to see it.

The afternoon passed with chatter and then excitement, as Harry presented the twins with wheelchairs. Faye was out of the bed and into hers as fast as she could scramble, ignoring the way her weak heart screamed at the effort. Scott was only a second behind.

The two shared a devilish look.

“Bye Harry!” Faye called as she and Scott reached for the wheels and zoomed out of the Med bay as fast as they could.

They did not get very far.

The Arks were obviously not designed for anyone with a disability. Maybe someone should have thought of that.

The stairs loomed before them like mount Everest. Tall and insurmountable in their current condition.

“Uhh,” said Scott with eloquence and dignity.

“There’s gotta be an elevator around here somewhere!” said Faye as she swung around and began wheeling herself to the left. A high tech space ship had to have an elevator or something on it. Even if it was like those ones on the Citadel that were so slow you could grow old before you reached your floor.

The two wheeled down a hallway and through several doors before they managed to find a maintenance elevator and somehow piled the two of them and their chairs into it. There were a few bruised fingers and a lot of yelling involved.

It then took a few minutes for the two of them to figure out how to get to the Nexus. It would be a lot harder to catch the two of them on the bigger station. The Nexus commons were a breath of fresh air and the simulated sunlight was warm on Faye’s skin. She looked over at Scott who was taking all of it in with wide, happy eyes.

“You know, when the Hyperion docked it looked a lot different. Whole area was still dark,” said Faye.

“It’s incredible,” said Scott. “There’s so much here now I can’t imagine what it looked like dark.”

“In a word: creepy.”

“Oh so you fit right in?”

“Excuse me what part of this fair visage is creepy to you?” Faye swatted her brother on the shoulder.

“We still don’t know where all that red hair came from. I still say you’re part alien,” said Scott, grinning.

“Then you’re part alien too dumbass,” said Faye.

“Then how come you’re the only one with biotics?”

“I’m just flashier,” said Faye.

Scott rolled his eyes as Faye checked something on her omnitool. It wasn’t what she had planned, but if they were here anyway…

“Want to solve a mystery?”

Scott raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

“Jien Garson. Her body was found in one of the apartments, and it’s still unoccupied. Care to see if she kept any record of the Benefactor?” asked Faye.

Scott nodded his agreement.

The two of them made their way to the apartment block and began rolling down opposite sides checking each apartment number. Why they had designed it so the numbers were so small Faye had no idea, but like the elevator thing it was extremely annoying.

“I got it!” called Scott from in front of a grey door like any other in the hall. Faye had expected something special to mark out the Initiative founder’s rooms but the door was as grey and nondescript as any other.

Faye tapped away at her omnnitool. The door did have more security than usual. It had several more alarms and an offensively difficult lock but slow and steady solved all problems as per usual. With a final beep from her omnitool the doors slid open with a quiet hiss.

Inside was pristine, if coated in a layer of dust. Someone had cleaned up since they found Garson’s body, but no one had been back since.

“Ok SAM, what can we look for?” asked Faye.

“Environmental scans may allow for scene recreation,” replied SAM.

“Have I ever said how much I love technology?” said Scott.

The two of them brought up their omnitool scanners and set to work. At first the two of them kept crashing into things as they discovered that trying to wheel one handed and scan at the same time was not a good idea. After Faye bumped the table and sent a vase flying they decided maybe it was best to not try and move and scan at the same time. A novel idea.

The scanners didn’t pick up much in the main room. Nothing out of the ordinary anyway. While they worked it was deathly silent in the room. The shuttered windows, the dust, the air of dread, all of it served to make Faye highly nervous. She wheeled herself into the bedroom and the quiet squeak of her wheels on the tile seemed as loud as rifle blasts in her ears. In there the scanner started beeping its discoveries.

In the scanner’s light SAM recreated the scene. Two people were in the room: Jien Garson, dead on the bed, and someone else. Director Tann claimed Garson had died when the Nexus hit the scourge, but this said otherwise. This said murder.

“Find anything in there?” called Scott.

It took Faye several moments to answer. This was definitely a new addition to the many-layered mystery.

“Garson was murdered,” said Faye slowly.

“Didn’t you say that the commons was dark, like boarded up no man may enter dark, when the Hyperion got here? What was Garson even doing here?” asked Scott.

“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.”

“Perhaps another scan of the room,” suggested SAM.

Faye groaned, but turned off her scanner to wheel back into the main room. As she entered she heard Scott’s scanner pinging.

“Well well, what do we have here?” said Scott.

A hidden door that’s what. Who didn’t have a fucking bomb shelter built into their room on a space station. It wasn’t completely out of the ordinary. Faye gawked as the foot and a half thick door slid apart to show a stark, steel room. Either Garson was paranoid or something had scared her badly back in the Milky Way. Faye rolled in first with Scott hot on her heels. Inside the room was a bed, a toilet, a desk with a computer and a couple data pads. There were papers strewn over the desk as well, like someone had gotten up quickly and knocked things across the desk.

Faye picked up the nearest datapad to see it flashing a new recording. She hit play and the creepiness of the whole situation rose by at least 60%. Jien was being hunted. First off she was hiding on her own ship while 99.9% of people were still in cryosleep, and second someone was tracking her through the dark ship. Why? Did it have something to do with the Benefactor? She made sure to copy down the code for Garson’s VI hidden in the log.

“Wow,” said Scott.

“This is some serious shit.”

Scott gently picked up the second datapad. No doubt curious and terrified of its contents like Faye. There was no audio recording on it, just the last frightened scribbled thoughts of Jien Garson. The twins shared a glance. What the fuck had happened before they left the Milky Way.

“You probably don’t want to here it again, but I wish Dad were here,” said Scott.

“I wish he was here too. Be a lot less confusing for everyone,” said Faye. “If I could go back I’d superglue his helmet on or something.”

Scott sighed and reached out, grabbing Faye’s hand.

“Hey, Dad might have had all the answers, but there’d be no living in this galaxy without my big sis.”

Faye smiled even though tears welled up in her eyes. It was so nice, having someone be glad she was there for being Faye, not the Pathfinder. Sometimes the crew, Peebee, would make her feel like a person again, but no one had said anything until Scott woke up.

“Aww, do you always cry while doing B&Es?”

Faye jumped and nearly fell out of her wheelchair. Peebee was standing in the doorway laughing. She had a pretty laugh.

“Peebee! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” said Faye, one hand dramatically resting on her chest.

Peebee frowned. “Don’t joke about that with me. Last time your heart actually did stop, or did you forget?”

“Lucky that you brought some magic Angara potion to heal me then isn’t it?” said Faye. “What are you doing here?”

“Finding you two. Everyone’s running all over the Hyperion and the Nexus trying to find the both of you. Apparently Lexi came up with a particularly good threat for anyone who doesn’t bring you back.”

Scott laughed at that. Faye smiled but she was still a great big ball of emotions. It did make her feel better that Peebee steered her back and refused to relinquish control of the wheelchair back to Faye. She did say the reason was because she was certain Faye would take off again if Peebee didn’t keep ahold of the chair. And it was actually partly true. But also Faye was happy for the attention from such a beautiful brilliant blue alien.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. What are your thoughts on the pace of this story/the romance? Is it too slow? Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! Real life is insane right now, and I'm posting this on straggly internet while on vacation because I feel bad for not updating in the longest time.
> 
> Also I am an IDIOT because I've been spelling Fay's name wrong this whole time. RIP my dignity at spelling my own OC's name wrong for 4 chapters....

  
The day finally came to test the medicine. Fay was sitting up in her bed with Scott to her left holding her hand with his best worried puppy face on. Peebee was to her right, shifting nervously in her chair and occasionally rambling on about Poc. Fay herself wasn’t nervous. She’d already died twice. The fear of death had long since passed and instead it felt more like an old friend.   
Lexi was back on the Tempest looking after Drack so it was Harry standing at the ready to administer the dose. He stood at the foot of the bed fussing with her chart and having the arrangement of medicines just so before administering them.  
“We’ve tested it every way we can and so it shouldn’t be poisonous. We’re not completely certain that it will work, as Angaran and human physiology are different in many ways, though I think it might,” said Harry as he poured a handful of drops of greenish liquid into a glass of water and stirred it.   
“Well nothing was ever accomplished by waiting around for it,” said Fay, reaching for the glass.  
Harry sighed and gave her the glass. Fay gave a sniff. It smelled like rotting fruit: sickly sweet and musty. Well, she never thought it would be champagne. She sized up the amount of liquid in the glass. A little more than the average double shot but she could do it in one go. Enough nights of drinking with Drack would prepare you for anything. With a neat flick of her wrist Fay downed the contents of the glass in one go.  
And immediately wished she hadn’t.  
The liquid burned as it went down in an unpleasant way. Not to mention an aftertaste like mold and sugar mixed into one. Her stomach revolted but she managed to keep it all down.   
“Ugh. Please tell me I don’t have to drink that stuff again,” said Fay.   
“If we detect signs of it working then you could be seeing maybe four more doses. Think of it as your punishment for dying on us every chance you get,” said Harry as he took the glass back.  
“Torture. Listen you two, when this stuff kills me you know who to blame,” said Fay with one hand resting dramatically on her forehead.   
Peebee snorted. “Oh yes, our fearless Pathfinder, taken out by a doctor and his medicines.”  
“I haven’t even programmed my VI yet. Now how will the galaxy know who I am.”  
“Don’t worry, I’ll do it for you. ‘My name’s Fay Ryder and I like old rocks and saving everyone in the galaxy’,” said Peebee.  
“Or you could let me do it,” said Scott, “’My name is Fay Ryder and I leave the galaxy in the care of my far prettier twin brother’.”  
Fay swatted at them both. “I hate you.”  
For the first time in a long time things felt right. Even with the threat of the Kett still hanging over their heads and the mystery of the Benefactor still up in the air it was an almost perfect moment. Almost perfect because of the lingering taste of death in Fay’s mouth.   
Over the course of the day Fay felt a change. She wasn’t as tired. Nor was she as dizzy as she had been since waking up in the Med bay. It was as if all her energy was slowly returning to her. Harry was excited by how well the Angaran medicine seemed to be working, as did the Angaran scientist who was excitedly scanning her and making notes. Fay was just glad the two were collaborating cooperatively. This was the Andromeda her father had promised when he was trying to convince her to come. A whole new galaxy of species to learn from. Hearing Harry talk about setting up a joint Angara-Initiative medical research centre was a step in the right direction she was sure.   
The next day Fay was well enough to stand. With Peebee offering her an arm they made their way around the Med bay and down the cryopod wing. Scott gave her a raised brow when he saw how eagerly Fay jumped at the chance to walk arm in arm with Peebee. She was already planning revenge. Fay had seen the way Scott was looking at Jaal when he came by for a brief visit that morning.   
All too soon she was returned to bed and Peebee was off back to the Tempest. There was nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs. The next day brought Drack and a day full of card games. The next brought Vetra and Suvi and a surreptitiously smuggled bottle of bathtub booze. The third day brought Gil and Kallo and a whole whack of headache.  
The gist of the argument was Gil was itching to give the Tempest some “much needed” upgrades now that they were docked in the Nexus and Kallo was vehemently against any change to his ship.   
“If we want to be spaceworthy in this galaxy with its fucking death cloud we need to give the Tempest a bit of a boost or she’ll be dead in the water against the Kett.”  
“My team designed this ship to be perfect. It would ruin her.”  
Fay dragged a hand down her face in frustration. She noticed Scott had been suspiciously absent since the two had begun arguing. Personally, she agreed with Gil. The Tempest was a research vessel not a warship and they had found themselves in the middle of a war. If they were going after Meridian and the Archon they needed to have more firepower on their side and maybe an upgrade in their stealth engines.   
“Can you two compromise in some way?’ asked Fay.  
“No!” both shouted back at the same time.   
“As Pathfinder can I order you to compromise?”  
Both of them looked taken aback at that. It hadn’t occurred to them that she was in fact the Pathfinder and their commanding officer and she could in fact do that.   
“Ryder, please, my team worked so hard to build her perfectly. All my friends built her and now its their last memorial. Let their creation be exactly how they envisioned her," pleaded Kallo.   
"And the Tempest is a testament to their skill. But our technology is outmatched by the Kett, and there were things your team couldn't have dreamed of us encountering," replied Ryder. "We have to make a few updates in order to win the galaxy. I promise Gil won't touch the hull. The Tempest will always look the same."   
Kallo jumped to his feet with a cry. Fay worried for a hot second she was about to be attacked by her own pilot while she lay in a hospital bed.   
"Any updates made to the Tempest will be done under your direct supervision, Kallo," added Fay.  
Kallo sighed and sat back down. With that all settled Fay relaxed. Her ship wasn't going to be torn apart by her engineer or her pilot anytime soon and hopefully the two of them would keep the Kett from trying.   
Within a week both Fay and Scott were given a clean bill of health, and as much as Henry wanted to keep them there the twins were itching to get out and find Meridian. The two of them marched out of the Med Bay with their heads held high. They were welcomed onto the Tempest with a cheer from her crew. There were thumps on the back from Drack and Liam, a kiss on the cheek from Suvi, and a lingering hug from Peebee that nearly set Fay's cheeks on fire.   
For the first time the Tempest felt welcoming to her. Everyone smiling and talking and happy to see her. For once it didn't feel like they were looking for her father instead, and with Scott here and joking with Gil and Jaal she finally felt like she had the rock that she needed in order to be the Pathfinder people needed.   
The party went until the wee hours of what passed for morning on the Nexus. Not that Fay was awake for most of it. After about two hours of drinks and jokes and catching up with her crew Fay felt that familiar exhaustion creeping up and decided to find a nice quiet, out of the way spot for a little nap before Lexi forced her to spend another night in a lumpy bed. The closest place Fay could slip away to was Peebee's escape pod, and since Peebee was caught in Jaal's intense need to know about new species line of questioning she figured no one would care. Not that she planned to sleep for a long time. Just ten minutes or so would be enough to get her through the rest of the night.   
It was, therefore, a surprise to be woken up by soft hands on her shoulder.  
"Up you get Ryder, this is my bedroom," Peebee whispered into Fay's ear.  
Fay groaned and rolled over, but Peebee did not move away. Fay opened her eyes to find golden ones only inches away from her own. Her breath caught in her throat. Had she ever noticed the little speckles of green that dusted Peebee's irises? They were captivating. Peebee was captivating; her mind and body sharp and beautiful and full of surprises. Without really thinking about it she reached up and let her hands lace together behind Peebee's neck.  
"Haven't you ever heard of sharing?" murmured Fay.  
"The idea has crossed my mind. Its hard to find someone willing to put up with Poc though, she leaves a horrible mess and scratches at the door."  
Fay laughed and pulled Peebee down to meet her in a soft kiss.   
By the time they both pulled back there was a flush in both their cheeks and smiled on both their lips. A perfect moment. Fay wanted it to last forever. Here, in the soft illumination of the escape pod, with Peebee above her with a flush in her cheeks.   
This was the real cure. Whatever miracle drug the Angara had brought Fay was nothing compared to this, even if her heart was hammering in her chest and her head was spinning. It wasn't the unpleasant spinning that felt like she would fall, but rather that she might fly.   
Fay pulled Peebee down for another kiss, but was met with resistance.  
"What is it?" asked Fay to a now frowning Peebee.  
"You still haven't apologized."  
"Apologized for what?"   
"For making me watch you die, and then trying your best to leave this galaxy. To leave me," said Peebee, trailing off quietly.  
"Oh."  
"Is that all you can say? Oh? 'Oh I guess I'll just try to die now that Peebee is considering attaching some strings!' Is that what you're trying to say?"  
Fay sat up, jostling Peebee off of her. The two of them sat in silence breached only by their heavy breathing.   
"You mean it?" asked Fay after taking a minute to collect her whirling thoughts.  
"What?"  
"The strings attached part. Did you mean it?"   
Peebee's eyes left hers and skittered to the side. Fay reached out to her, but let her hand fall uselessly to her lap. She didn't want to trap her into saying something Peebee didn't mean.   
"Yes, and no," said Peebee. "Look, I like you Ryder, a lot. But I don't want to get hurt again. It's why I usually want no strings. You make me want it. Strings, commitment, all of it. It scares me. If we're together and you died again, permanently... It's a lot to ask."  
Fay bit her lip. She understood a bit, growing up in a military family meant growing up with the knowledge that people you loved may one day be ripped away without so much as a goodbye. But to her that fear of a loved one dying had always meant remembering to tell Scott she loved him when she vidcomm'ed before a new mission, or giving her father a hug before he left even if they had a fight.   
"It is a lot," said Fay, nodding. "But not so scary as you might think."  
Peebee gave her a long hard look before sighing and getting to her feet. She offered Fay a hand up before leading the way out of the escape pod. Poc beeped happily as the two of them emerged. For a killer drone it was pretty cute. Fay walked past Peebee to the door but paused just short of the auto-sensor.   
"You can think about it, if you want. You know where to find me. But uh, is it ok if the flirting doesn't stop?" asked Fay.  
Peebee grinned.  
"I'd be offended if you stopped," she replied with a wink. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the romance is progressing!! Next time we will probably get through Meridian and all that jazz, with some things changed up now that Scott's joined the party. 
> 
> I'll admit i nearly abandonned this fic, as I felt myself losing intrest and sometimes when you only get a few kudos here and there it feels like it isn't worth it to write anymore. I do wish Ao3 would let an author know when someone subscribed, because if there's at least one person waiting for the story that's reason enough to keep going.


End file.
